Editors Letter-Box. 317 



In some of the yards, orange, lemon, guava, citron, limes, figs, peach. Cape- 

 jasmin, myrtle, &c., are seen ; and in several places the date-palm waves its beau- 

 tiful plumes. The sour orange is common. 



On the outskirts of the town, toward the St. Sebastian, the widow of Dr. 

 Anderson (Massachusetts stock) has an orangery of about twenty acres, 

 part large bearing trees, and part just planted. This is the largest anywhere in 

 this vicinity. Buckingham Smith has quite a number of bearing trees : so has an 

 old Frenchman named Dumas ; but his place looks like a wilderness. George W. 

 Atwood is at work vigorously to make an orangery. He has some bearing trees, 

 both orange and lemon. From the latter I picked average fruit weighing over a 

 pound each. In his garden I saw a rose-bush in full bloom, which Mrs. Atwood 

 said had not been destitute of roses at any time during two years. They have 

 also guavas, bananas, and date-palms. Peas are now in full bearing. A shipment 

 of large cabbage-heads has just been made. Lettuce, beets, turnips, are abun- 

 dant and good. Corn and potatoes, tomatoes, lima-beans, onions, &c., are 

 growing as large and good as with us at New York in June. 



The soil of all this country is sand, — one vast field of sand ; yet it is productive 

 wherever properly manured. That is all that is wanted. But how that is to be 

 accomplished where grass is never cultivated, where we never see a green lawn 

 or meadow, where all the cattle run in a semi-wild state in the pine-woods, — that 

 is the question. It is one that never has been and never will be solved by 

 the native population : but it will be by the incoming one ; for it is one that 

 will make this land produce more than the people consume. That is something 

 it never yet has done. If it does not grow food, it should grow an abundance of 

 stuff to export to pay for its imports, and leave a large surplus of profit. 



If there was a line of steamers direct to New York from this coast, it could 

 furnish excellent potatoes almost as early as Bermuda, and at a less price, or 

 else great profit to the grower. Sweet-potatoes could be delivered in New- York 

 market earlier than from any other convenient locality. They can be wintered 

 in the ground .where they grow, and dug, and sent to market in spring in better 

 condition than from any place where they must be stored to prevent freezing. 



Probably the most profitable crop would be watermelons, if there was steam 

 communication with New York. I am told they often attain a weight of fifty or 

 sixty pounds. 



As peaches grow here (and, in speaking of here, I mean all this region) most 

 luxuriantly, I do not see why they could not be made a profitable crop by pre- 

 serving the fruit in cans. 



It is also a pity there is not some way to utilize the fruit of the wild orange, 

 which grows luxuriantly everywhere it is given an opportunity. It is grown 

 for shade and ornament, and as screen-hedges for gardens and orchards ; and 

 there are numerous groves in the woods from which people get trees, and plant 

 for budding with the sweet variety. These trees have shed their beautiful fra- 

 grant blossoms within a few days, and are now dropping slowly their rich golden 

 fruit. In some of the groves, the trees and ground are literally covered with 

 oranges, beautiful to the eye, but sour to the lip. A pleasant cordial, called sour- 

 orange-wine, is made of the juice ; and sometimes the fruit is used for sweetmeats. 



